Gorsepaw needs to be remembered, him not being present or mentioned in Blackfoot's Reckoning made that a fact to me. He was loyal to those he cared for and knew to recognize the kindness of those beyond his clan's borders. See it as born out of innocence or thoughtfulness, but it is thanks to his admiration for Fireheart and his own heart of gold that Bluestar called off the attack on Windclan. For that, and not for being yet another victim caught on evil's path, he should be acknowledged.
Just don't forget the name Gorsepaw, alright? That's all I ask. That will be enough...
Ajar was how Gorsekit's mouth weakly stayed as he took his first few breaths.
Beady were Gorsekit's eyes when he opened them to the world and finally saw the loving gaze of Morningflower- such pretty name could only belong to his mother.
Clemency was what that harsh leaf-bare granted Gorsekit, sparing his life over the ones of his littermates, though the little tom was never made aware of this act of mercy.
Drooping was how Gorsekit started to notice Morningflower's head to always be when she carried him.
Esoteric were, to Gorsekit, the reasons why Morningflower was so tired, or why every place that he woke up in smelled so different from each other.
Frolicking with a leaf was what Gorsekit was doing when Morningflower stepped in front of him, protecting him, while the cats that travelled with her observed with weary eyes how a pair of toms approached them- one dark grey and the other blazing ginger.
Glower was what Gorsekit did when his mother let go off him and he felt the unfamiliar fangs of the ginger tom lifting him up.
Hoisted the tiny kit for a long travel, the ginger tom did. Eventually, that cat's scent became familiar enough for Gorsepaw's unease to dispel, and he sunk into a sleep as peaceful as he would have found by Morningflower's side.
Interspersed were the lively layers of green that met Gorsekit the first time his eyes saw the moorland. WindClan, his new wondrous home.
Jargon consisted most of Tallstar's speech, but Gorsekit knew his leader's words were very important to Morningflower and his clanmates, so he listened with cocked ears and eventually answered with a shrilly "Yes- I do!"
Knotted were how Gorsepaw's legs felt when, given his new name, he tottered forward and touched noses with Morningflower's brother- Onewhisker- who stared at his apprentice with the gleaming mix of a mentor's pride and eagerness.
Limber was Gorsepaw when he chased after a rabbit- his first. His pursuit was meant to turn the safety of a nearby burrow into bait for the creature, and when Onewhisker suddenly emerged from that den to snatch the cornered rabbit by the neck, Gorsepaw felt excitement escaping his throat in the form of a triumphant yowl.
Mellow mews from countless cats flooded Gorsepaw's ears as he walked into the clearing surrounded by the mighty four-trees. Stepping into that first gathering felt like getting closer and closer to becoming a warrior and making his mother proud of him.
Nonchalantly, or at least trying to be so and thus conceal his awe, Gorsepaw spoke to the ginger tom for the first time since that cat had carried him all the way to WindClan territory. He could barely believe that Fireheart was ThunderClan's deputy now!
Ordained, an attack on WindClan would have been, had Gorsepaw not done as Fireheart requested him. By allowing the ginger tom to speak with Onewhisker, they managed to arranged a meeting between Bluestar- ThunderClan's leader- and Tallstar, who both managed to clear their issues up. The pride that Gorsepaw felt when contributing to that peace assured him that, if he ever became leader of WindClan, he would always do his best to prevent any unnecessary blood from being spilled, like Fireheart and Onewhisker had done.
Providence was what Gorsepaw lacked, in more than one way, when Windclan was attacked. Not by Thunderclan, but by TigerClan, a merge of other clans that were set on taking over the forest, all while being led by the fearsome Tigerstar!
Quagmire quickly surrounded Gorsepaw. Every single one of his clanmates fought with fangs and claws to defend their camp from the unexpected assault.
Rummaging as he did, Gorsepaw found it hard to spot Morningflower within the flurry of different furs that flooded his vision. Still, he could swear he heard his mother's howls echoing above the ones of any other cat.
Sardonic, a nasty voice roared from Gorsepaw's left, giving him a direction to follow and a desperate haste to his sprint. "Unless I see her mouseheart-of-a-son right now, Morningflower will die!"
Tangy was the mixed smell of blood and fear that Gorsepaw scented when he finally found his mother. Two TigerClan warriors were holding her by the scruff, while the she-cat let out furious snarls. Gorsepaw would have jumped in Morningflower's aid, had another cat not leapt in front of him.
Unhinged by panic, Gorsepaw's jaw became, when he saw that he who had blocked his path was none other than Tigerstar himself. With a grimace of satisfaction, the leader pounced on Gorsepaw and easily pinned his leaner body to the ground.
Vitriolic were the words that followed Gorsepaw's quick defeat. "Now, all of you, watch closely, because those who refuse to join TigerClan- all of you who dare challenge its rule- will suffer the same fate as this pathetic apprentice will!".
Writhing helplessly in terror, Gorsepaw saw himself surrounded by a wall of TigerClan warriors, enclosing him and halting the WindClan cats, though most them were frozen in shock. Tallstar tried to muster his strained clanmates, but only Onewhisker answered to the calls, fiercely howling as he fruitlessly tried to battle his way to his apprentice. Injured and still held down by the TigerClan cats, the only thing that Morningflower could do was to below. The sound of his mother's despaired cries made Gorsepaw's heart wrench.
Xanthous eyes met Gorsepaw's pleading ones when he shakily looked up. Tigerstar did not blink once as he raised one his front paws, claws unsheathed, and brought it down on the helpless apprentice.
Yielding a grim and immediate result, Tigerstar's slash made Gorsepaw's head slam back against the ground. Before he could even recover from his daze, Gorsepaw began to feel that his chest was soaked by some liquid. It took him a few moments to realize it was blood coming out of his neck- out of his burning throat, which now struggled to perform its vital task.
Zealous were Gorsepaw's attempts to cling to life, to the cats he cared for, to the noble Thunderclan leader he had hoped to be like one day, to the mentor he wished to make proud, to the mother who loved him, to all of what had not happened just yet, but would await him in the futureā¦
But alas, the last, youthful bits of vitality left in Gorsepaw gradually scuttled away from his paws, like a startled nightingale. At an eventual last, his breath petered out.
Oddly organized, is it not?
Over the last few weeks, I have been re-reading my previous works, eventually coming to the conclusion that, as much as I enjoyed writing in english, this was not my first language and it showed. Naturally, I felt like I lacked a varied vocabulary when describing actions and feelings, often repeating the same idea over and over.
That was when I took a pen and a notebook and started to write down each unknown word or uncommon term that I could use. The story you just read is the result of me having a long list of new words that, written on my notebook, felt like they were just waiting for me to sit down and actually make good use of them.
I'll be sure to deliver just that to them, and have them replace some of the many spots the older ones had to occupy.
